Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
Honky tonk to the nines. Grelle (pronounced Grell-ee) hails from St. Louis, Mo. I never considered San Louie a bastion of country music. I may have to rethink that. Grelle is 100% country and I would have sworn he was from the swamps of Louisiana or the planes of West Texas, but no. It led me to an epiphany, it doesn’t matter where he is from cuz he got the feelin’. He can twang it up with the best of them. Pure unadulterated 70’s style country music.
This album touches all the country genres from classic, Tex-Mex, swamp rock, Cajun, and of course some honky tonk. Grelle can go from the slow crooning ballads such as Set On Me and Not Takin’ After Me to some nice up tempo numbers like Heart’s For Mine, Got Dressed Up To Be Let Down, and Hilltop Of Sand.
One of the most poignant songs on the album is Birthday Cards, which is about Grelle’s grandmother who passed away. “In all my birthday cards, grandma’s portraits were there”, sings Grelle as he happily sings about nice memories of his departed grandmother. The song evokes emotions of happiness and longing. A well written and well sung ballad.
These Walls is a fantastic pedal steel laden number about memories being haunted by a lost love. Certainly could imagine this song playing on the jukebox in some dive bar in a small Texas town as the locals belly up to drink away their sorrows. I wouldn’t say Grelle covers any new ground here, but this is turf I don’t mind visiting over and over. I give this one a strong buy recommendation.
Listen to Got Dressed Up To Be Let Down
Buy Got Dressed Up To Be Let Down